Ensemble Pygmalion

Pygmalion was founded in 2006 at the European Bach Festival as the combination of a choir and an orchestra bringing of young musicians together with experience in the performance of period instruments music. Its repertoire is mainly dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach’s and Jean‐Philippe Rameau’s music. However, Pygmalion performs baroque music as well as contemporary works.

Pygmalion is since 2007 a regular guest at the Festival de la Chaise-­‐Dieu and performs as well at the Salle Pleyel, Festivals of Beaune, Saintes, Sablé, Lessay or Ambronay, at the Folle Journée de Nantes, at the Operahouse of Bordeaux, in Versailles and Rouen. This ensemble is also invited abroad on a regular basis, among others at the Musikfest Bremen, the Palais des Beaux-­‐Arts in Brussels, in Hamburg at the NDR Early Music Series, at the Oslo Church Music Festival, and went recently on tour to Mexico at the Maya de Merida Festival, the Cervantino de Guanajuato and the Teatro de la Ciudad de Monterrey.

Pygmalion’s first recording for the label Alpha – Bach’s four Missae Breves BWV 233 to 236 – has been enthusiastically received by the critics. This record was awarded the Diapason d’Or de l’année 2008, the Orphée d’Or 2008 as well as the Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice.

The recording of Bach’s Missa 1733 released in September 2012 was awarded with an ffff by the newspaper Télérama and a « coup de cœur » from the Charles Cros Academy. A live recording of Dardanus at the Opéra Royal de Versailles followed in September 2013, being the first volume of the new Alpha-­‐Château de Versailles Spectacle CD-­‐ collection and also awarded an ffff by Telerama.
After the Missae Breves, the Missa 1733, the Magnificat and other original programs presenting cantatas and contemporary creations, Pygmalion continued to deepen its work of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music with in 2011 a first complete reconstitution of Bach’s Trauermusik 244a. In 2013 Pygmalion performed the St John Passion for the first time. A complete version of Bach’s h-­‐Moll-­‐Messe BWV 232 followed with a concert tour at the Auditorium of Bordeaux, at the Halle aux Grains in Toulouse and at the Salle Pleyel in Paris.

In 2011 Pygmalion started a partnership with the Festival de Beaune, the Opéra de Bordeaux and the Opéra de Versailles devoted to three tragedies from Rameau, starting with the second version of Rameau’s Dardanus, continuing with the 1757 version of Hippolyte et Aricie. Beside the baroque repertoire Pygmalion began with it choir to explore the German romantic repertoire starting in 2011 with Brahms’ and Bruckner’s sacred works at the Folle Journée de Nantes, followed by a program devoted to Schubert together with the pianist Adam Laloum at the Festival de la Roque d’Anthéron and at the Opéra de Bordeaux.

Pygmalion’s projects for 2014 include Castor & Pollux and a classical program devoted to Michael Haydn. The ensemble will perform at the Opéra Comique, the Cité de la Musique, the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the Easter festival of Aix-­‐en-­‐Provence, at the Opéra de Bordeaux, the Opéra Royal de Versailles, the Auditorium Dutilleux in Bordeaux, and during the Festivals of la Chaise-­‐Dieu, Beaune, Saint-­‐Denis, Montpellier, Ambronay, Lessay, as well as at the Scène nationale de Besançon and the Fondation Royaumont.

Since January 1st 2014 Pygmalion is artist in residence at the Opéra national de Bordeaux and is supported by the Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles d’Aquitaine and by the City of Bordeaux.
Pygmalion is also supported by EREN Groupe, as well as by the Région Ile-­‐de-­‐France. Pygmalion is artist in residence at the Fondation Royaumont the Festival de Saint-­‐Denis and at the Fondation Singer-­‐Polignac. Pygmalion is associate artist at the Scène nationale de Besançon for the 2013-­‐2014 season and at the Fondation La Borie.